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Saturday, 12 March 2011

Still bouncing!

I finished my ArtsyCrafts album at last! I put the pages together last weekend but I needed to add all the journaling, and I had some idea of embellishing the pages - I decided against this in the end, as the album was already bulging, and I liked the effect of using the various leftover bits, the packaging, recycled items, paperwork etc - you'll see what I mean as I take you through the pages! Apologies for the many photos that follow; I had intended to make a collage of them but Picasa doesn't want to play nicely today.....

Here's the front cover:

I used large bracket covers by Teresa Collins, which comfortably hold 8x8 pages. I covered the front with all the trimmings from the gorgeous papers we'd used to line the Configurations boxes, spritzed it with the Antique Gold Perfect Pearls from the Ranger goody bag, added my title (leftover printer's blocks from the kit and lettering die cut with my new Tim Holtz 'upon a time' alphas) and then used my new favourite thing, Claudine Hellmuth's Matte Multi-Medium, to stick on the little embellishments (also leftovers from the class kit, plus the layered flower made from my new PaperArtsy stamps and dies).

{Gosh darn it, now Blogger doesn't want to play either!! I can only add one photo at a time - this could take a while....}

OK, now let's take a look inside :-) These photos are all pretty small but will give you a general idea, but you can enlarge them by clicking on them if you want to take a closer look.

I wanted to cram in as many memorabilia as possible - here I've reused the envelope that contained my ticket and badges (it now holds print-outs of the blogposts back in September where I just mentioned in passing that I'd got a place in the class....) The invoice is there, as is my ticket and the notes enclosed with it. Some of these items I've written journaling onto or stuck photos or other bits and pieces onto, some are just there 'as themselves' to help me remember it all!

Here I used the invoice from my B&B the night before, collaged together a tag, PaperArtsy postcard and a couple of photos, used packaging from a die I purchased with my shopping photos and receipts, and just adhered photos back to back for one page - a line of white paint provided a journaling spot.

I stamped straight onto some of the photos; added a couple of mini photos offset onto a tag tied with tissue tape; used an envelope which contains the project instructions; and stuck two sheets of photos back to back with tissue tape along the joins. I also used a piece of cardstock from my prize!

I had to include my messy fingers.... If I'd thought about it in time, I'd have added some handprints to the background before I stuck the photos down! I wrote directly onto some of the photos, if white space allowed. My lunch badge went into a little plastic bag which had held something I'd bought (the name badges haven't gone into the album because I shall wear them again, any chance I get!) I also added a postcard of Tim, again in a plastic packet. The last page on this row was packaging from the embossing folders I'd bought.

On my way back home on the Saturday I'd stopped off at Starbucks for a quick espresso - while there, I picked up an information leaflet, a couple of cup holders and a spare espresso cup. I always associate Starbucks with Tim and (especially) with Mario! I also used the negative from one of the grungepaper letter sheets, more packaging, and a scrap of acetate on which I'd been experimenting. And again, I wrote directly onto the photo of Mario - I'd planned to do that all along, hence the white space!

More souvenirs from Starbucks on the pages about Mario - I used the receipt from my espresso, too! It's layered onto some grungepaper (I need to get better at inking it, though...) And then more packaging, and the instructions from the Configurations kit. They include all the measurements for the paper you need to line each box, so I'll need to refer to them again when I start working on the extra box I brought home. The espresso cup holds a couple of small photos, and I used the 'back to back with tissue tape' trick again for the next few photos.

The packaging from another die gave a base to a strip of photos - the overlap was just the right size to add some journaling. Then I used more packaging, and the acetate 'window' from my Configurations box, as I didn't use it in my project. I used alcohol ink on the acetate but it doesn't really show up in the photo, it's quite subtle! Let's pretend that I didn't add those photos upside down on the back of the acetate, OK? (And I was checking so carefully all the way through to avoid that mistake.... *sigh!*) I punched holes directly through the mini photo on the right hand side, but you can see the die-cut birdcage on the back peeking through, too.

Here's that birdcage, complete with birdie! I die-cut them from grungepaper and added Dymo journaling on strips of Core'dinations cardstock. For the next few pages I experimented with embossing different materials: some acetate from the embossing folders' packaging, then Core'dinations cardstock which I lightly sanded - it feels like velvet! Gorgeous! - and finally an envelope, to which I added a strip of tickets and tucked a journaling tag inside. The photos of Tim looking at his gift from us are mounted on a couple of tags.

A piece of cardboard with strips of tissue tape formed the base for photos of my completed Configurations project. I'm pleased with the collage of photos showing the close up of each small box! Then I used the offcut of acetate from the 'window' with a couple more scraps of left over paper, backed with an envelope - I wrote the journaling directly onto the envelope this time. The last page is more inked grungepaper, and I even added the sandpaper we'd used in class! The packaging from the Ranger goody bag formed a pocket inside which I've added photos of the goody bag itself. And then, inside the back cover, I've used my photo of the whole ArtsyCrafts team, with a stamped message. Let's pretend that I didn't miss out the 'k' of 'thanks' and have to stamp over, OK?!

And finally, here's the back cover:

I inked the edges then spritzed with the Perfect Pearls, before stamping with lots of Tim Holtz and PaperArtsy stamps.

That's it! Thanks for your patience :-) I can't promise not to mention this class ever again, but I have got most of it out of my system now!! And I have so many happy memories within this book and in my heart, I can't even measure how much pleasure this has given me :-) Thanks again to Leandra, Lin, Tim, Mario, Alain and all the team xx

I can't believe how much you got stuffed in that album! I love all your little bits of memorabilia and so many wonderful photos. A treasure for sure... and if you want to bring it up again... I certainly would be happy to hear more :)

I absolutely love what you have done with your book,It is a wonderful keepsake.So many textures and techniques,and it's lovely to keep all the tickets and documents and reminders,I'd love to leaf through it too ! xx

That's a true labour of love. It's gorgeous - I love the fact that the pages are all different sizes and that you've included things like envelopes etc ... it's really fabulous. Dont' worry, mention it as oten as you want :)

Mel, this is a fabulous album. I love that it contains so much memorabilia!! I may have to try something like this next time we take a road trip - a different way to showcase all those brochures, confirmation printouts, and "stuff" along the way. So wish I could see this album in person and thumb through the pages.

...is what I speak. It describes what I actually say (nonsense, mostly) and how I say it (ie my accent, which is a mixture of all sorts - a bit of North of England, a bit of Irish, a bit of South West England, a lot of just me!) The word comes from my name, Mel, and the fact that I'm one-quarter Welsh. But there's not actually any Welsh in my accent. Go figure...